Vongola's Decimo: Tsunayoshi Sawada
by fightergirlkl
Summary: It was amazing how everything could change in just a few hours. Being just 5 years old, Tsuna was fairly oblivious to everything going around him, but the death of his mother was enough to throw him off balance. Left with no other choice, Iemitsu agrees to raise Tsuna for who he really is: Vongola Decimo. Making friends and meeting new found enemies along the way, will Tsuna surviv
1. Preview

**Begining chap to kinda short. Will get longer, i promise.**

**thanks for reading.**

"How is your son, Iemitsu?"

His head snapped up at the name of his son. Iemitsu gazed at Nono's warm smiling face before answering.

"He is the cutest little boy on earth." He replied, grinning. "You should see him with his bunny jacket on."

Nono chuckled, shaking his head. "On duty you are as cold as ice yet at the mention of your son's name, the ice melts within three seconds."

"Tsuna just has the power,"

"I'm sure it only works on you." Nono smiled, "I would like to meet him one day."

Iemitsu nodded, and then grinned as an idea struck him. "I'm visiting Nana and Tsuna in a few days; maybe you could come with me and visit." His smile faded, "We must take careful precautions though."

"Of course," He agreed, "Though it'll all be worth it when I see what you've been bragging about. Tsuna must be a real gem for you to be breaking that mask you've built up over the years."

Iemitsu laughed and gazed out the window, staring at the blue sky in fascination. "He has a pure heart…that is all I can every want."

"Tsuna is next in line for Decimo you know,"

Iemitsu nodded sadly, "Yes…I realized that. Are you having trouble with Xanxus again?" He turned to see Nono nodding.

"Yes, that boy…he won't show me his smile. His heart is too dark; it reminds me of Vongola Segundo."

"I will not allow my son to die an early death, Nono," Iemitsu frowned. "I want him to have a childhood."

"That is why I do not plan on exposing him to the brutal mafia world until he is at least a teenager." Nono held Iemitsu's gaze, "The rest depends on whether he wants to inherit the title Vongola boss or not."

"Of course Vongola Nono,


	2. The Killers

"Papa!"

Iemitsu turned his attention to the little boy that was running towards him. "Tsuna!"

Tsuna giggled as his father picked him up and cooed over him. Nana rushed forward and kissed Iemitsu on the cheek, emitting a red blush from the man and a questioning look from Tsuna.

When he heard a soft chuckle coming from behind his dad, Tsuna stopped and stared. Tsuna gazed at the old man in curiosity; the man looked like any old man, with grey hair, wrinkled skin, and kind eyes.

Tsuna tugged on his dad's sleeve and pointed at the kind looking man. "Papa, who is he?"

Iemitsu smiled at Tsuna and turned them to face the old man. "This, my dear little Tuna; is Timoteo, an old friend of mine."

Iemitsu gestured with his free hand to his family, "This is Nana, my wife and this is my adorable son—Tsuna."

Tsuna and the man both stared at each other, seemingly having a quiet debate, Nono was the first to crack, a warm smile appearing on his lips. "I can see why you talk about Tsuna so much; he is quite cute."

"I KNOW RIGHT!" Iemitsu gushed, cuddling his son. "Tsuna's adorable!"

Nana smiled, "How about we get back home, and I'll make tea for everyone." Nana gestured to the men wearing dark sunglasses behind Nono. "Your friends can come too if they want."

Nono chuckled, "Thank you Nana,"

ɸ · Χ · ɸ

"How is Xanxus taking the news?"

Nono sipped his tea, "He demanded to know why, and I answered him truthfully. He said he'll settle for being the leader of the Varia…though not using those exact words. That boy needs to learn respect."

"Did you tell him who was going to become Decimo then?"

Nono sighed, "Half of the truth, you could say. I told him that the future boss-to-be won't be inheriting the Vongola for a while. Xanxus demanded that he meet this future successor."

Iemitsu blew on his tea, "Do you think we should let them meet?"

Nono laughed, "And let your son charm Xanxus to his side?"

Iemitsu shrugged, a smile playing on his lips, "It could happen."

Nono smiled, "I see some reason in what you are saying, maybe when Tsuna's a little older."

Iemitsu nodded in agreement.

ɸ · Χ · ɸ

(Tsuna is 5 years old)

Tsuna stared at the men in fear, he knew they weren't kind, no…they were killers.

"This is the Vongola bratt?" One of them growled.

"Yes sir,"

The man—seemingly the leader of the group—smiled, showing yellow teeth stained from smoking cigars. "Get him."

"NO!" Nana shrieked, hugging Tsuna closer to her. "Get away from us! Don't touch my Tsuna!"

"…What do we do about the woman?"

"She's the mom?"

"Yes sir."

"Kill her."

"…As you wish." The man hesitated. "Should I take the boy away first…?"

"…Yes…even I'm not the cruel."

Two men grabbed hold of Nana, grabbing her flailing limps and tying them with a rope.

"MAMA!" Tsuna cried, trying desperately to break out of the man's hold. "MAMA! Let go of me! No! STOP! MAMA!"

"Tsu-kun!" Nana choked, she gave Tsuna one last smile. "Be brave, be strong. Never stop growing and getting stronger. Remember that I love you Tsuna, I love you, tell you father for me Tsuna. I love you both."

Tsuna sobbed, thrashing, "MAMA!"

Nana cried silently as her son was dragged away into another room. "I love you."

Tsuna gave up and sobbed, "I-I love you too…mama."

The boy was dragged into the other room, crying and calling out for his mother, but too weak to make a difference.

Nana found herself staring down the barrel of a gun.

_I love you…Tsuna…Iemitsu. Take care…Good-bye. _She closed her eyes for the last time.

Tsuna pounded on the door, crying and crying, his fists red.

"MAMA! MAMA! MAMA—"

The single shot of a gun echoed through the house, a dull thump…then…silence.

Tsuna froze, scooting backwards away from the door, "No…" He muttered, hugging his knees close to his chest. "No, no."

New tears escaped from his eyes, he sobbed and cried.

_PAPA, where are you? PAPA! I'm scared, save me papa…please. Papa…_

Ietmitsu froze at the sound of a single gunshot echoed though his house, escaping through the thin cracks in the walls.

They had just arrived at his house, luckily he had sent as a personal favor to have a friend check out how his son and wife were doing. The friend reported back saying that unfamiliar cars were parked outside and the lighters were off. There was a distinct sound of struggle.

The Vongola (including Iemitsu) rushed to the house, bring weapons along with the. The cars indeed belonged to an enemy famiglia who had threatened them for years.

Iemitsu had readied his gun and was about to break into the house when he heard the gunshot.

A single gunshot.

"No," Iemitsu muttered, he whirled around to the rest of the Vongola, barking out orders. "Go in and search the entire fuckin house! Murder those bastards if they fight back, and capture the ones that surrender. Most importantly, Find. My. Family."

The men uttered in unison, "Yes sir," And went to do just that.

On the count of three, they broke down the doors, some entered secretly through Tsuna's bedroom window and some through the front door.

Tsuna cried and cried, sobbing for his mom and dad when the window of his room suddenly broke.

A man entered the room, Tsuna was about to shrink away but he stopped when he saw a familiar face.

"D-Dario…" Tsuna stuttered, running to the man and hugging him, crying and sobbing into his suit.

"Sh," Dario hushed, stroking the young boy's gravity defying hair with the other hand placed protective on the boy's back. "You're safe," He whispered. "You're safe."

Removing his hand from Tsuna's hair; Dario reached for the walkie talkie. "This is Dario, I've found Tsuna. Repeat, Tsuna is safe."

There was a pause as the message was reported then a clearly relieved voice answered. "Good work Dario, make sure to get the kid down safely. Better to not use the main exit/entrance though. Over."

"Copy that, Over."

Dario stuffed the communicator back into his suit and crouched in front of Tsuna. "We're going down now alright?"

Tsuna sniffed, nodding. "H-Hai."

Dario rubbed the boy's back gently before picking him up. He climbed out the window and got grip of the rope that he used to get up.

Getting up was the hard part; you had to try to defy gravity. But getting down, you just let gravity do its thing.

"Tsuna," The young boy gazed at Dario with watery eyes. "Hang on tight alright?"

Tsuna nodded, and cling onto Dario like a lifeline.

Dario kept a tight arm around Tsuna until his feet were safely on the ground. Seeing that Tsuna was in no position to hold himself up; Dario carried Tsuna to where Iemitsu was waiting with a very concerned expression.

When Iemitsu first saw Tsuna, his eyes visibly brightened, forgetting all stress he experienced when he first heard of the news that someone had found his house, he ran to his son and hugged him like he was the last person on earth.

Tsuna let out brand new tears when he saw his father, and sobbed into Iemitsu's shoulder when they were back together again.

"Oh Tsuna," Ietmitsu murmured as he stroked Tsuna's hair, gently as if the boy would break. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry for leaving you and mama alone like that. I'm sorry…I'm sorry."

Tsuna cried even harder but nevertheless, tried to form words to tell his father what happened. "Papa…mama…she…p-papa the b-bullet…and gun…Mama i-is. She…s-she told me…that she loved us….s-she…s-she s-said good-bye papa," Tsuna sobbed unable to continue. "S-She said good-bye."

Iemitsu held his Tsuna as he sobbed, crying along with his son.

_Nana…oh Nana…I'm sorry. I was supposed to be there…I'm so sorry…it's my fault…all my fault._

The Vongola and CEDEF watched at the father and son held on to each other, grieving the lost of Nana Sawada.

"Sir," Iemitsu moved Tsuna's head away from his face but still held onto the crying boy.

"Yes,"

"There was one casualty…I'm sorry."

Ietmitsu's eyes down casted, "Yeah…me too." He face suddenly took a serious turn. "Was it the Ingannando?"

"Yes sir."

"…It _will _be a life sentence. The Ingannando Famiglia will never see the light of day. Distroy it."

"Yes sir—"

"Papa,"

Both of the men turned to face the young boy.

"Tsuna?" Iemitsu softly patted the boy's back. "What's wrong?"

"…The ones who killed mama….only them…"

The two men deadpanned, "What do you mean Tsuna?" Iemitsu asked.

Tsuna still had tears streaming down his checks, though his sobs quieted. "Y-you said the men right? M-maybe the b-boss didn't want to…"

The man gazed at Iemitsu in confusion before asking the young boy, "What do you mean?"

"They…before e-everything, t-the other m-men said are you s-sure…I don't think the b-boss…knew."

Both of them stared at the boy in disbelief. Yet…there was a very good possibility that the boss of the Ingannando famiglia didn't know. There were rumors about this.

"Should I check into this sir?"

Iemitsu nodded, "Yes…"

"Do you think that Tsuna…"

Iemitsu smiled, "Primo was his great-great-great grandfather. Perhaps Tsuna had inherited Primo's Hyper Intuition."

The man chuckled, "Your son is amazing Iemitsu. I'll go check on the Ingannando." The man bowed respectfully. "_Mi scusi_, _signore._"

***please excuse me, Sir.**

Iemitsu nodded. He caressed Tsuna's head, "Sh, go to sleep Tsuna. I won't leave you this time."

Tsuna nodded sleepily and dozed off on his father's shoulder.

Being careful to not trip over the flat surface, he made his way to the limo, stopping beside one of the members of CEDEF.

"Inform Nono what had happen. And get Nana ready for the funeral. This house will be normal in the morning."

"Yes sir." The man opened the limo door.

"Grazie," Iemitsu thanked before getting into the warm limo, making sure Tsuna's head didn't hit the limo roof while doing so.

Iemitsu laid Tsuna's head in his lap, covering the rest of the boy's body with a blanket. The CEDEF members watched with a soft smile as the cold hearted, courageous man that they had as a boss transformed into a loving father.

Lal Mirch raised an eyebrow but nonetheless stayed quiet.

Still stroking his son's impossibly fluffy hair, Iemitsu sighed; with his free hand he rubbed his eyes.

"I can't believe Nana's gone," Iemitsu muttered, his voice almost cracking. "It's my fault, if I had been there…"

Lal shook her head, "The past is set in stone Iemitsu; not even you can change it." She directed her gazed at the sleeping boy; letting it soften a fraction. "What you should be worrying about now is Tsuna's future."

"Lal is right, boss." Oregano agreed, crossing her legs. "Isn't it true that Tsuna is to become Vongola Decimo?"

Iemitsu sighed and gazed sadly as his son's sleeping form. "I'm afraid so, I wanted to keep that part of his life a secret until he's had a full childhood…I guess fate wanted a different hand." Iemitsu removed his hand away from Tsuna's hair to rub his face, his voice nearly cracking. "What am I going to do? I can't be what Nana was to Tsuna, I'm just the father."

"Do what you can Iemitsu," Lal advised. "And hope that Tsuna will live a full life."

"…I don't want him to just live a full life Lal…I want him to be happy with his friends around him." Iemitsu blinked back tears. "I want him to smile like he did when he saw me at the airport coming come. I want him to always posses that innocent look that makes him look so vulnerable. I want him to be a child."

"Do what you can Iemitsu, the Vongola isn't that cruel. We'll do everything we can for Tsuna; he won't end up like Nana."

Iemitsu sighed, "How?"

"Train him."

"Huh?'

"Train him," Lal repeated. "Reborn is a close friend of Nono; he has a way of teaching that makes grown men cry for their mothers but it works. Tsuna will be stronger, and you will be able to get a good night's sleep."

Iemitsu gazed lovingly at his son, "He's just a kid," He whispered.

"Tsuna will need guardians soon, I hear that you have some friends that have kids around Tsuna's age, bring them to Vongola; let them meet Tsuna." Before Iemitsu had a chance to argue, Lal cut him off. "Don't say that it'll be too dangerous. Tsuna's in enough danger just being related to you."

…

"I know this isn't like me, but I don't want another life taken. Tsuna may be a child, but he isn't weak and helpless. He's Vongola Decimo, you need to realize that and help him become the best that he can, as his father."

Iemitsu nodded slowly, "I understand what you're saying…but what about CEDEF?"

"What about it?"

"…Will I still be able to…"

"You won't be able to be next to Tsuna 24/7 that is a fact. You are still our leader, remember that."

"You're right," Iemitsu agreed, "I'll talk to Nono about this…and about the funeral. That matter of having that hit man as Tsuna's tutor is still not decided though…I'm not so sure Tsuna will survive a day with a teaching style like that."

"Just trust your instincts Iemitsu, they might not be hyper intuition, but they've never been wrong before."


	3. Vongola's private Jet

**I got my inspiration for this story back! So i actually did go on an airplane...i hated it. i can handel it but, i get really sleepy.**

**got back from my trip, but it's almost school. :( **

**poo right?**

**i don't own khr. **

**thanks for reading :)**

**(btw, ANNOUCEMENT FOR MY OTHER STORY "FIRST LOVE!**

**FOR THE SOCCER BALL PART, I'M GONNA TRY TO DRAW THE SCENE. I'LL UPLOAD IT ON DEVIANT ART . C O M. **

**MY ACCOUNT ON THERE IS "A-maze-me"**

**i already did a pic on just Tsuna n then there's just a random dude. **

**u really don't have to check if u don't want to, this is for those of you who want to, k?**

** : / / a - m a z e- m e . **

remove the spaces.

* * *

Oregano made her way down the aisle, balancing a tray of coffee cups. Really, when did she become the coffee girl? After sneaking past a sleeping boy, Oregano placed the tray on a little table, handing the darkest brewed to her leader, Iemitsu Sawada.

"Here you go boss," she said, handing him the cup.

Iemitsu accepted it gratefully, taking a sip before saying, "Thanks Oregano, that really did the job."

She nodded respectfully before carrying two of the three cups over to the others. Lal was silently listening to walkie talkie, she had once said that cellphones these days were too much of a both to carry around, and besides, walkie talkies suited her better then diamond encrusted iphones.

When she went to hand the ex-Arcobaleno her expresso, she only gestured to the cup holder in the armrest, and gave Oregano a good thumps up.

Turmeric was speaking rapidly in Italian, eyebrows furrowed in concentration, occasionally he would scribble down a few notes before resuming his quiet jibber jabber. Much similar to Lal, Turmeric gestured to his coffee holder and returned to his work after uttering a soft "Grazie."

Oregano stood there, watching the two work frantically for a moment before finally, her curiosity won her over. "What are you all doing?"

Turmeric lifted his eyes to meet the other for a moment, "Preparations," he replied before going back to work.

"For?"

This time Lal replied, "It's a sudden arrival, we've informed Nono who has to inform the staff. The extra work is because Nono wants every single piece of furniture going into Sawada's room costume made at his favorite Italian furniture shop. That, and having some things shipped over from across the globe."

Iemitsu chuckled, "The Ninth really goes all out when it comes to Tuna-fish."

Lal snorted, "I'll say, he's getting your kid a closet full of stuff, from suits and cloaks down to jeans and t-shirts. He's even getting the boy some shoes, and accessories."

Turmeric lifted his head, asking, "He does know that the young master will grow out of them in probably 2 years right?"

"Yeah," Lal replied, scribbling down a new shipment that Nono had requested. "But that doesn't stop him from going on a shopping spree."

Oregano smiled softly, "You know Nono thinks of the young master like his own grandchild."

Lal growled, "Still damn irriating."

With that Oregano took a seat next to the leader but on the right side of the plane.

She hesitated before asking softly, "How's the young master?"

Iemitsu took a giant gulp of his coffee before answering. "He's sleeping…I don't know about nightmares but…he's doing fine."

"What about you, leader?"

"Me?" Iemitus smiled sadly, "I'm regretting ever leaving the family alone like that. I was a fool to think that they could live on their own like that."

"Mrs. Sawada had pulled it through this far," Oregano said, trying to help the man.

But Iemitsu just shook his head, "No…I was too careless." He sighed, rubbing his eyes after placing the cup onto a small table. "Look what I've done, Nana…she's gone…What do I do?"

"Stop sulking Iemitsu," Lal snapped, slamming her walkie talkie into the armrest, narrowly missing the coffee cup.

Iemitsu's eyes grew wide as he stuttered, "L-Lal."

"I remember that you weren't this much of a wimp when I first joined," Lal growled, glaring at the man. "You became my boss because of a single reason: Respect."

"Not to be rude or anything leader," Turmeric said, "But the first time I joined, I thought you were kinda…stupid. But…that's why we follow you, it's being able to be joyful after a mission, even if we almost die, because of you we can laugh."

Iemitsu stared at the both of them before smirking. "You two really do love me,"

Turmeric eye's grew wide as he nearly dropped his phone. "L-Leader?"

Lal growled, "Watch your words, you may be my stinking boss but I sure as hell can kick your ass."

"Alright, alright," Iemitsu said, raising his hands in surrender. "I got the memo. So don't worry," He grinned, "I'm fine, me and my Tuna-fish…we'll get through it."

* * *

"Papa?" A soft voice murmured sleepily, it seemed to have come from a few rows back from where the CEDEF were seated.

The sound of feet scuffling against the plush vibrant red carpet of the private plane sounded as Oregano peered curiously down the aisle, the other CEDEF members took a moment' s break from their hectic preparations.

Not before long, a young boy appeared, his features should have been much more suited for a female rather then a male, but curiously enough, it worked. Tsuna's gravity defying brown hair was as always—reaching for the sky, his brown orbs were nearly covered by heavy eyelids due to his nap just minutes back, and with his clothes cutely ruffled; Tsuna hugged his azure jacket closer to his body.

Years of experience in bloodshed kept a smile off her face for the longest of times, but seeing such a cute little boy brought the forbidden expression fighting back. Iemitsu saw this and knew fairly well how extraordinary his son was, expectually at charming the uncharmable.

Letting out a joyful chuckle, Iemtisu swept his son up into his arms, hugging the boy tightly. "Fallen in love with Tuna, haven't you Oregano?" He teased, jokingly.

Oregano spluttered at the accusation, crossing her arms with an incredulous expression pointed towards the Leader. "What a childish accusation!" She exclaimed before softening her stern gaze, "But the young master's appearance certainly takes a weight of my shoulders."

Turmeric cleared his throat, leaning forward in his seat saying in a teasing tone, "In other words, you're head over heals for the young master."

Oregano glared at the brown haired man, retorting: "Says the man who was cooing like a dove at the young master's sleeping face."

Iemitsu burst with laughter, snuggling into his son's shoulder to stifle his guffaws. While his boss was busy clinging onto his son for dear life, Turmeric's face was as red as a cherry, ducking his burning head; Turmeric stuttered: "T-There is a perfectly good explanation for that!"

Lal's lips twitched as she resumed scribbling down notes and such on a small notepad all the while listening to the childish arguments that Turmeric was stuttering out. After all, the rest of the time the man wore a stoned face that couldn't even be chipped by a power drill.

Upon seeing a red visor on the ex-Arcobaleno's head, Tsuna jumped off his father's lap and ran over to Lal Mirch, gazing curiously with his big brown eyes. The ex-Arcobaleno saw the young boy stare at her curiously and smiled softly as she paused from her note taking.

"What's wrong, Sawada?"

Tsuna beamed, "You're really pretty Lala!"

Iemitsu howled with laugher as he banged his fist against the armrest, nearly crying as his body shook, Turmeric was in a similar state but at least he had the decency to slap a hand over his mouth (not that it did any good). Oregano knew first hand that she wouldn't be able to keep her snickers silent so with a shaking voice, she excused herself to the ladies room, clearing her throat multiple times and barely escaping Lal's deadly glare.

While her fellow CEDEF members were busy laughing their butts off, Lal was at the height of pure irritation. So in a quiet voice laced with ground shaking anger, she said "Either you all shut up or I'll stuff something really unpleasant in those mouths of yours."

Needless to say the threat was a complete success, memories of what happened just a few months back replayed itself over and over in their minds. They learned that when Lal makes a threat, it ain't empty…and held plenty of painful promise.

Tsuna was shocked when such a scary voice came out of Lal's mouth, and his lips quivered. The thought of losing another person he cared for scared him to death, that's when memories of what had happen just a few hours back came racing forward and capturing the poor boy in a vice-like hold.

"Did I make you mad, Lal?"

The said Arcobaleno froze, as did the rest. Oregano had just returned from her journey and with a worried gaze, took the seat next to the leader.

Lal blinked, placing her phone on the armrest blindly as she watched the boy with a hint of concern. "Hey Sawada, what's wrong?" She asked when tears spilled from his eyes.

Iemitsu went into daddy mode, his brows furrowed as he raced forward and gently scooped his son into a warm hug, all the while fixing Lal into a silent conversation.

_What did you say to him?_

_How the hell should I know?_

Seeing that Lal wasn't giving in after a few glares here and there, he turned his attention to his son, gently pulling away so he could see Tsuna's face.

"Tuna-fish?"

The boy lifted his eyes, little hiccups escaped from his lips as Tsuna tried to hide his sobs. "Y-Yes P-Papa?"

His heart broke, it really did. Call it a son-complex or whatever but Iemitsu absolutely adored his son, so seeing his flesh and blood in such a state was heart wrenching.

After a mental battle to regain his composer, Iemitsu sat down on the ground and placed Tsuna into his lap saying, "Tell me what's wrong?"

Tsuna bit his lip as he grabbed onto Iemitsu's suit tightly, bracing himself. "I-I…" a sob escaped his lips, "I-I don't want t-to l-lose L-Lal"

Lal's eyebrows shot way up as she jumped down from her seat, hands on her hip. "What are you yapping about, boy?"

Tsuna wiped his eye with the edge of his sleeve, an orange long sleeved shirt with soft blue jeans that Iemitsu had changed his son into the moment they boarded the plane; Tsuna's other clothes were dirtied with dust and dirt.

Hugging onto his father's arm, Tsuna whispered, "Y-You h-hate me, r-right?"

The ex-Arcobaleno sighed, crossing her arms and leaning against the chair. "Now when did I ever say that?"

"Y-You y-yelled…"

"But not at you," Lal corrected, meeting the young master's eyes before sighing yet again before admitting, "I hate a lot of people, and I mean a whole stinking lot." She shrugged, "Don't know if it's because I have high standers…or because nearly everyone I've met are immensely idiotic. But you," a rare smile appeared on her lips as she shook her head, "You're something different."

Tsuna blinked, his grip on Iemitus'a arm loosened as his tears stopped flowing. "H-Huh?"

Lal smirked, nodding at the boy. "See?" She said. "You're a brat, I should hate you beyond reasoning, and beyond sanity, but I don't…"

"I don't because you're too nice for your own good. They say those who aren't selfish dies first then those who are…"

Everyone sweat dropped: _That's messed up. _

"But," She paused, "you're not just un-selfish; you're bright, nice, kind, happy, and everything is filled with sunshine when you're around. Your eyes glow so brilliantly with hope and joy that it's cosmic, you laugh at absolutely everything to a stupid degree, you have no bearings, you don't know the difference between friend and enemy, and you act like strangers are like your long lost cousins!"

Iemitsu slumped, "Get to the point Lal and stop criticizing my son!"

"Shut up your brainless bastard." Lal snapped.

Iemitsu's eyes widened as he uttered one word: "Language!"

Ignoring the leader's protests, Lal continued. "But…that's why I think that there's no one else on earth, no…in the universe who can completely break down my fortress."

Tsuna blinked, scooting forward in his father's lap. "Fortress?"

"It's like a invisible ball," Lal explained, "I use it to keep unwanted visitors from knowing my weaknesses. You see, once you get inside, there is an unlimited amount of options before you. And guess what, you got in."

Tsuna beamed, his eyes returning to that happy glow. "I did!"

"Yup," Lal shook her dead disbelievingly. "Didn't believe it at first either but you did it kid. So don't you ever think that I'll hate you, because if there's one person in the entire world that I can with 100% confidence that I don't hate…"

She smirked, aiming a flick at the boy's forehead while Tsuna muttered, "Owie," and rubbed the sore wound.

With a finishing smile, Lal continued, saying, "It's you."

Tsuna grinned as he leaned forward and hugged the ex-Arcobaleno, "Arigato Lally,"

Lal smirked as she patted the boy's back, "Sure thing Sawada,"

Tsuna pulled away, before a sudden question struck his mind as his smile faded away into a frown.

Turning towards his dad, Tsuna gazed up at the taller man. And in a quiet voice, Tsuna asked, "Mama: is she really gone?"

Now that caught all of them by surprise. It was true that kids were quite forgetful, and they were glad that Tsuna had forgotten the incident in his sleep. If slight memory lost went gone until Tsuna was a teenager, Iemitsu was planning on telling him then. But even with the thought of the memory returning at hand, they never thought that the boy was outright ask.

Iemitsu stared at his son with wide eyes before smiling softly, closing his eyes slowly and nodded, replying hesitantly: "…yeah…" He opened his eyes and brushed away a stray strand of hair from Tsuna's eyes, before rubbing Tsuna's cheek in a comforting manner. "I'm sorry Tsuna," He apologized, eyes lining with tears. "I should have protected you…both of you, it was my job at the father and husband…" He sighed, shaking his head as he covered his face with those large hands.

"I'm so sorry, Tsuna." He whispered, voice muffled by his palm.

The CEDEF members watched their leader sadly, ducking their own heads and sobering up from the previous excitement. Nodding silently, Tsuna plopped down onto the ground opposite to his father, sitting straight.

After a moment's silence, Tsuna finally said softly, "Its alright papa,"

Iemitsu lifted his head as his son's words, gazing curiously at the boy. "W-What do you mean, Tsuna?"

Tsuna smiled, closing his eyes happily, "Mama is in heaven watching over us, if mama was here…mama would say 'papa stop sulking'."

Iemitsy chuckled softly nodding as he dropped his hands. "That does sound like something she'd say," He admitted.

"Right?" Tsuna nodded, "So papa should smile like before! I like it when papa smiles. Papa said that where papa works, it's very sad right?"

Iemitsu nodded, "Right,"

"So, if papa laughs, everyone will too!" Tsuna said, spreading his arms wide as he giggled.

Turmeric and Oregano snickered as the sight as their eyes twinkled, while Lal smirked at the boy.

_This is exactly what I meant. _She thought.

Tsuna saw the snickers and Lal's smirk and grinned victoriously. "Do you see papa?" He asked excitedly. "You just need to smile!"

Iemitsu laughed, nodding as he ruffled his son's hair. "Yeah," He said, a smile on his own on his lips. "You're absolutely right."

* * *

While Tsuna was playing rock, paper, scissors with Oregano and Turmeric, Lal and Iemitsu were sipping their coffees and gazing at the little boy.

"He's really amazing," Lal muttered."

Iemitsu smirked, placing his coffee cup onto the small table. "It's rare for you to give out a such a compliment, _Lala._" He teased.

Lal glared at the man, "Call me that again and I will rip out your tongue and feed it to the ravens." She threatened before sighing. "But that boy…might be the one."

The CEDEF leader nodded in agreement, "The one who will return Vongola to what it once was…a vigilante group created to protect those who the law could not…"

"Primo's Vongola," Lal finished.

* * *

_This is your pilot speaking, please buckle your seatbelts and prepare for landing. Thank you for us as your personal private jet line. _


	4. Gokudera Arrives! Part I

**I kinda skiped ahead, so i can introduce Tsuna to his guardians. So tell u the truth, im really look forward to Tsuna's meeting with Mukuro...i kno i shouldn't b saying this since...im writing hte story...**

**but any who... thanks for reading**

**i don't own khr**

* * *

**3 years later, Tsuna is 8**

The young boy clenched his fists as he crouched behind the bush, gazing at the guards through the little spaces between the leaves. Two dynamites were readied in his hand as he counted the paces and perfected his timing.

To most, this would seem like a suicide mission, but this was what had to be done. No one would take him seriously, calling him a child musician.

"I'll show them," He growled quietly, tensing his muscles. "I'll attack Vongola's young master," green eyes narrowed in determination as he aimed the dynamites with impossible precision.

Upon hearing the loud explosion, the silver haired boy raced across the courtyard and jumped through an open window, smirking all the way. The check points were drag, not to mention quiet boring. But this was what made it all worth it.

Landing on his hands and knees, Gokudera Hayato whispered, "Prepare yourself, Vongola Decimo."

* * *

Nono's eyes widened as his instincts flared bright red, the man tensed as he stood from his seat in a calm yet slightly hurried manner. His guardians immediately knew something was wrong, because Timoteo possessed Hyper Intuition.

Coyote's eyes narrowed as he asked, "What's wrong?"

Nono frowned, replying, "Intruder,"

And soon after, guards burst through the doors, clearing panicking. With a calm exterior, Nono approached them, in contrast with their heavy breathing he asked, "Stay calm, and report our current situation."

Taking deep breaths (since they were fairly new), the men straightened, looking much alike to how Vongola's guards should be: unwavering sharp gazes, and stoned expression, unbreakable by even a boulder.

"Yes sir," One man replied before reporting their current status. "It seems that the intruder is very talented, we conclude that it is a 'he' but of course, we are not completely sure. The intruder was able to make it past the security checkpoints and not to mention, avoid the sensors and cameras." He frowned, "It seems that the intruder has collected much information regarding our security."

Coyote approached the man, the other guardians right behind him. "Are there any information on the intruder's appearance?"

"…Yes, but it is barely of any help to the case…" The man admitted.

"Every single detail is of use in the final picture," Visconti advised, before asking once again, "Please share with us any details on the intruder's appearance."

The man bowed, "Yes sir,"

From there on, his partner took over. "It is confirmed that the intruder used dynamites to temporarily blind us though none were severely injured. One of ours managed to catch a glimpse of the intruder climbing through an open window which fit the description as to how he managed to infiltrate the Vongola HQ."

"He said that the intruder was quite small so that is why he was able to climb through the open window with such agility." The man continued, "The guard said that he saw silver hair and perhaps green eyes. Though this hasn't been confirmed,"

Nono nodded, "I see," He whispered before lifting his head and meeting the gazes of both his guardians and the guards. "I know who the intruder is."

Surprised looks were cast across the room like a plague before in a nearly unified form, they asked, "Who?"

Nono smiled softly, before reaching over by his seat and picking up a photo that was sent by a dear friend. Holding up the photo, he announced: "Gokudera Hayato of the Ciclone Famiglia, son of Riccardo de Gallo."

Coyote made a face, "Him…the musician?"

Nono chuckled, "That was perhaps why none of the famiglias were willing to take them in as their own; my guess is that he thought he could increase his reputation by successfully infiltrating the Vongola…but something tells me that he won't stop there."

Ganauche's brows furrowed as he turned towards his boss, asking unsurely and quite worriedly, "You don't mean…he's after Tsuna."

Nono nodded solemnly, "It makes sense, I'm sure that he wouldn't go as far as killing Tsuna…but there will be no guarantee that Tsuna won't be severely injured."

"The boy's with his father right?" Schnitten asked, uncharacteristically nervous.

Suddenly Iemitsu ran into the room, his brows furrowed with a panicked gaze he announced, "Tsuna's missing…"

* * *

Tsuna glanced past the wall, hoping to see some maids or anyone who could help him…but a last; he was met with another blank hallway.

With another sigh, the young boy continued on his journey to finding his father. Really, he's lived here for 3 years and still manages to get lost. Vongola HQ was fairly…large. Alright, that's a bit of an understatement.

Considering the Vongola Head Quarters was located smack-dab in the middle of a meadow, and had a whole gigantic forest under its name _and _could buy anymore land—not that it really needed too—if there was ever any need to expand…The place was quite big.

Tsuna sighed as he traced his hand along the wall, thinking back to those times when his father and numerous others had prevented him from doing too much exploring due to the possibility that he could encounter one of the torture chambers and other quiet terrifying places that could quiet possibly…mentally damage the young boy. Of course the young Vongole had managed to discover where the places were located but that doesn't mean that he was able to investigate.

Sighing as he decided to head straight for a change, Tsuna pouted, "It's entirely Grandpapa and Papa's fault," he muttered.

Approaching a line of windows, Tsuna grinned as he raced towards them, taking in the sight that was before him. The sea of trees was no different from before, but now he could see beyond the leafy tops and caught sight of a watch tower nearly completely wrapped with vines making for perfect natural camouflage.

Tsuna made a mental note to ask Papa when he finds him.

Gasping softly, he remembered why he was up so high, pushing away from the glass, Tsuna resumed his journey to win the hide-and-seek game once and for all.

After several rounds, Tsuna decided it was time to give up going UP…and return to the floors where he was more familiar with. Someone had to see papa somewhere.

Giving it one more go, Tsuna cupped his hands around his mouth and called out, "PAPA!"

…

He sighed, _of course, _"silence," With that Tsuna rewind his brain and made his way to the elevator.

Vongola's Elevators have yet to be updated with elevator music…but Tsuna guessed it was for the best since top notch mafia dudes who were on their way to a meeting with "The Boss of all Bosses"…weren't really in a mode to listen to "Don't stop Believing."

But the boy had to admit…to him, listening to any classics that would no doubt engrave itself into his memory was better than entering a very, _very _awkward silence.

_Ding_

Tsuna perked up when he heard the sound, waiting as the doors of the abnormally large elevator, opened. The young boy was greeted by the sight of soldiers bustling about, calling out his name.

Blinking in confusion, Tsuna stepped out the elevator casually, his feet scuffing against the red carpet and an innocent look on his face.

As the doors closed behind him, a soldier glanced at him before hurrying on his way. Tsuna watched the soldier stop just a few yards in front of him before backtracking and pausing before the young boy. The soldier reached out and grabbed another man who was in the process of running before being stopped by the trained hand.

Leo gasped as his collar was sharply held in place and glared at the man responsible. "What in the name of hell is your problem, Max? We're supposed to be looking for Decimo!"

'Max' glared at the soldier back before grabbing the man's chin and turning the man's face to he had no choice but to look at Tsuna.

The 3 stared at each other for a few more moments but Max and Leo's eyes widened as they screamed out, "DECIMO!"

* * *

Poor Iemitsu was currently in the process of freaking out.

"Oh what am I going to do! My little tuna fish is lost in this maze-like mansion with nothing but his clothes! And to think, I was so careless as to play hide-and-seek when I haven't even shown him around the place!" Iemitsu hugged the wall, attracting many stares. In a very dramatic tone, Iemitsu cried, "I AM A FAILIAR AS A FATHER!"

Lal sighed as she watched her boss enter what she liked to call, 'wimp mode.' Pushing off her spot against the wall, Lal headed towards the door, calling back, "I'm going to go another for another round around the place," she glanced at Nono over her shoulder. "And to escape Iemitsu's pathetic whining."

With that the doors slammed closed.

Nono rubbed his temples, turning towards his storm guardian. "They're currently searching the Head Quarters right?"

Coyote nodded, "That's right,"

Nono sighed, closing his eyes in a silent prayer.

_All divine beings that watch over us humans, may this pitiful man whose hands have been tainted with blood ask for one wish. _

_Please, please let Tsunayoshi be safe, for all of our sakes._


	5. Gokudera Arrives! Part II

**Alright, so i'm thinking about redoing the first two chaps after i get a little further into the story since now i've gotten the hang of things and know where i'm actually going with this. Thank you for giving this story a chance, really. **

**So i don't own KHR. **

**n waiting for chap. 403**

**;)**

* * *

Swallowing, Tsuna backed up against the wall, his eyes wide as he stared at the boy before him.

Gokudera smirked as he advanced towards the boy, saying, "With such a huge escort even inside the Head Quarters, there is no doubt…" He pointed at the smaller boy's chest, "You're Vongola Decimo,"

Tsuna gulped, stuttering, "W-Who are you?"

"I am Gokudera Hayato, now…" Dynamites appeared as the taller boy held them gracefully; Tsuna was in awe; that is, until he heard what next came out of Gokudera's mouth. "I challenge you to a battle!"

Tsuna paled, "Eh?"

Gokudera pumped his fist determinately, "A fight to the death!"

…

A loud shriek escaped the young don's lips upon hearing the declaration, "HIEEEEEE!" Waving his arms wildly, he stuttered as Gokudera came nearer, "W-Wait just a minute!"

Ignoring the request, Gokudera launched a valley of dynamites, eyes narrowing when the smaller boy scrambled out of the explosive's paths. His movements were slightly clumsy in the face of danger, but nonetheless, if they were to be polished, it would become a graceful dance.

"I see such simple attacks won't work on you," The silver haired bomber sneered, "I expect nothing less from The Vongola Decimo.

Tsuna was shaking like a leaf, upon hearing the boy's words, he winced and said, "I-I have a home tutor." though silently adding: _a sadistic, devilish, hell-bent tutor._

Gokudera nodded in understanding, "I see…" he muttered before a smile slipped onto his lips and he said these words, "I won't hold back then."

Tsuna swallowed and stuttered out, "P-please do!"

Merely grinning in reply to the plea, the bomber readied his next attack, lighting his dynamites at lightning speed and bending his knees to help his balance.

Gokudera smirked, _escape that!_

Upon seeing the deadly explosives narrowing in, Tsuna racked his brains for any moves that his sadistic tutor had taught him, anything that would help him in this situation. Suddenly, he remembered their training just a few days back, this time, it was "How to Deal with Deadly Explosives."

_Flashback:_

_Sighing, the baby gazed at the boy before him, though it seemed more like a giant piece of charcoal. _

_The hitman shook his head, muttering, "At this rate, you're going to die the moment you step foot out of the Head Quarters."_

_Tsuna hiccupped as tears streamed down his cheeks, "I-I c-can't do i-it R-Reborn," The boy sobbed, tremors racking his body. "G-Gomen R-Reborn, G-Gomenasai!"_

_Reborn felt his hand twitch as he fought to keep his expression passive and void of any emotion; this is unbelievable; he was a hitman! How can a hitman be brought down to his knees by a damn brat?!_

_"Stop crying," He growled, pulling the tip of his fedora over his eyes. "I'm not mad, so stop crying."_

_Sniffling, Tsuna rubbed his eyes with the edge of his charred sleeve, asking softly, "R-Really?"_

_Reborn nodded, "Yeah," before shaking his head at the boy's current appearance. "But if this is how you end up after a battle with explosives; Iemitsu will throw a tantrum." _

_ Tsuna cocked his head to the side, "I thought that only babies cried."_

_"…your point is?" He cleared his throat before walking over to stand before the brat. "Listen Tsuna, it looks like you consider your enemies friends…am I right?"_

_Tsuna nodded, saying, "Papa said to be nice to everyone!"_

_"…Well your papa is a complete idiot." Reborn muttered under his breath before saying, "its…good that you're kind to people, but on the battle field, there are just some who won't listen to you, no matter how sincere you are." He rose out his hand and Leon climbed down from his fedora, transforming into a black and green gun. _

_Without a second's hesitation, he pointed the gun right at the little boy's forehead: point blank. But Tsuna wasn't fazed; he barely blinked, offering merely a curious look. _

_Reborn sighed at the lack of reaction and Leon tuned back into a chameleon; he flicked at Tsuna's forehead and the boy whimpered. _

_"R-Reborn," he stuttered, rubbing the red spot. "That hurts."_

_Ignoring the cries, Reborn asked, "Why did you defend yourself?"_

_Tsuna blinked, before grinning positively brightly. "Because I love you,"_

_"…" Reborn raised a hand on the bridge of his nose and tried to keep his calm. "…Listen Tsuna, I'm…glad that you…like me, not many do." He looked down at the innocent boy, "But here me, there are people out there who will hold a gun to your head, who will not hesitate to pull the trigger, and who will not hesitate to eliminate you from this planet."_

_Tsuna's eyes widened as he listened to his tutor's words, lips trembling. Upon seeing this, Reborn shook his head, "No kid should have to hear such words…but this is the world you live in Tsuna, you can't just ignore it forever, you're old enough to understand fear."_

_"I-I know," Tsuna stuttered, wiping away stray tears. "B-But, i-it's s-scary."_

_Reborn shook his head, "You were born into the mafia," he muttered, turning away from the boy. "Your great-great-great grandfather was the founder of Vongola, and you are now the heir. Unlike many others at your age, you will never be normal; it was decided before you were born, you have the Blood of Vongole."_

_Tsuna ducked his head, whispering, "I-I know…"_

_Sighing yet again, Reborn gaze softened as he said to Tsuna, "Oi," and the boy looked up. "I'm not trying to scare you, but fear is a necessity in order for you to become stronger. So I suppose teaching you all these techniques are just going to make you look like a complete fool."_

_He glanced back at his student, smirking slightly before saying, "So I'll just tell you one thing" he paused, eyes glinting dangerously. "If you don't fight, you're going to die."_

_Flash back end:_

Tsuna blinked, thinking _ah_…_I remember now._

With that he leaped out of the way of the attacks with a slight shriek and raced down the hall, right pass the bomber.

_But first, I have to get outside._

The silver haired boy's head whipped around before scowling and cursing fluently in Italian, and chasing after the Vongola heir.

"I have to win," he muttered, working his legs even faster. "I have to _win!_"

Tsuna glanced back and saw the other boy slowly but surely catching up, a nearly desperate gleam in his eyes as his feet pounded the ground with a passion. His intuition flared bright red as his eye brows furrowed, but keeping his steady pace nonetheless. Some was wrong with the bomber, a deep mental wound that Tsuna knew; hurt a lot more than any physical injury.

And seeing how the other boy had this wild look upon him; only one word came to the young heir's mind:

_Acknowledgement_

…Now this was quite a predicament because Tsuna had no idea what the word meant. Now his look of confusion was towards a whole different matter, this one was more for his own curiosity.

Coming round a corner and approaching the staircase, Tsuna grinned, thinking: _Let's have fun!_

"Follow me, Gokudera-kun!" Tsuna yelled, gesturing with a wide grin for the other boy to follow him.

"Che," The bomber scoffed, "What do you think I'm doing, Baka!" He growled back.

But the brown haired boy merely giggled and slowly increased the speed of his run, before grabbed the large handrail with one hand and swing both his legs onto its thick platform. It was a long way down, and if he wasn't so familiar with this stunt, Tsuna would have never dreamed of taking such a big risk. But of course, Reborn one day, had forced him to either take the hand rail down or skip dinner. It absolutely didn't help that they were having mac 'n cheese that day.

Baldovino was a god with his hands, him and his son, Federico, were brilliant with their hands. They come from a family of chefs who had served for the Vongola early in the days, despite having many of their staff fired during the control of the other bosses after Primo; they family themselves, were praised for their uniqueness and passion in the art of cookery.

Back to the situation at hand, Tsuna giggled loudly as he slid round and round down the stair well, and hearing the soft chuckled from behind—he guessed that Gokudera was having fun. He was happy for the moment shared with the boy, and feeling slightly sad when the end came to sight.

An idea popped into his head—and even if he knew that Reborn would no doubt, give him a boring lecture for this, he didn't care. Tsuna leaped off the rail right before the end and raced out the door to the courtyard, purposely taking the path of least resistance, and making sure Gokudera was close behind.

Finally they were out in the courtyard and Tsuna lead them to a field of wild flowers, grinning wildly.

"Alright then Vongola," Gokudera huffed, trying to squelch his excitement from before and taking on a serious expression. "Let's fight." He whipped out his dynamites and got into a ready position, knees bent and balanced.

Tsuna eyed the bomber before shaking his head, and saying, "…You don't have to do this."

His eyes narrowed, "Shut up Vongola, you have no idea what my life is like." He hissed.

Tsuna frowned, whispering softly, "But I do…"

"What?"

"…nothing," he sighed, before looking up at the boy with a kind smile, Tsuna said, "I don't want to fight you."

"…It's because I'm not worthy…isn't it?"

"What?" Tsuna shook his head, taking a step forward, "N-No! I just want to be friends!"

"SHUT UP!" the bomber yelled, lighting his explosives at an impossible rate. "Enough talking, get ready, because I'm not waiting any longer."

And thus began the fight.

Tsuna's eyes widened as the other boy sent a hoard of explosives towards him, immediately eliminating his only path of escape. In the face of limited options, he nearly panicked if the thought of his devilish tutor didn't pop into the boy's mind.

_Calm down, _Tsuna thought desperately, crouching low. _This is n-nothing, Reborn is much s-scarier…m-much more._

With that, he reared back his small fist, and punched one of the dynamites out of the way, creating a small hole in the deadly attack, and taking that chance, he made it through. Or at least that's what he thought, upon seeing the movement; the bomber sent a second attack.

Tsuna gasped as he felt the slight cool touch of the explosives to his skin before meeting with a unanimous burst of pain. He let out a scream as he fell onto the ground on his back, letting out a pained gasp as he did. Part of his skin was now red, as well as bleeding, nothing was broken but he had a feeling that if this continued; it wasn't going to be good.

The small boy whimpered as he grasped his lower arm where the bleeding was most severe, and whispered, "Papa…" The edged of his sleeves were charred and tears lined his eyes.

Gokudera took the sight in and felt his anger and determination falter; he saw Decimo tears now dropping onto the grass, his arms bruised and bleeding; he swallowed hard at the sight.

"O-Oi…" he stuttered, reaching for the other boy, "A-Are you alright?" he asked, shakily.

Tsuna tried to reply, but when moving to a standing position, sharp stabs of pain ripped through his body and he cried out, his injured arm gripping the grass tight to keep his tears in, but to no avail. It just hurts too much.

"P-Papa…" he whimpered, "Itai-o, "

Gokudera bit his lips, _this wasn't supposed to happen, _he thought.

That was when everything came rushing back, the scene from just a few minutes back, all the kind words the other boy had said now came racing back like a speeding car.

_"Follow me, Gokudera-kun!" _

_ "…You don't have to do this."_

_"I don't want to fight you."_

_"I just want to be friends!"_

The bomber chocked back a small whimper as he gripped his unlit dynamites tight, "G-Gomen," he whispered, looking up at the Vongola with watery eyes, "I-I'm s-sorry, I-I'm so s-sorry!" With that, the boy dropped to his knees, letting go his explosives and his arms dropping to his side, head bowed.

Tsuna blinked in surprised, yet only for a moment before he grinned widely and crawled over to the bow, and kneeled before him, ignoring the stinging stabs of pain that ran through his body.

The young bomber showed to signs of seeing the other boy, other than a slight slack, as if trying to make himself smaller. Tsuna studied the other boy before slowly moving to grab one of his hands, seeing that Gokudera was making no moves to stop him; Tsuna gently grabbed the boy's hand.

Gokudera jumped in surprised, glancing at Decimo with wide eyes before asking, "W-Why?"

Tsuna cocked his head to the side, smiling sweetly. "What do you mean?"

"….w-why…" he took a shuddering breath, "Why are you so nice to me?"

The brunette practically beamed, "Because you're nice!" he replied.

Gokudera shook his head incredulously, but didn't yank his hand away from the other boy's hold. He ducked his head, silver bands shaded his eyes. "I attacked you, tried to kill you, and practically kidnapped you! Do you see the state you're in?" He snatched his hand away, sounding chocked and defeated at his next words. "You-You're bleeding!...A-And I'm at fault."

Tsuna stared at Gokudera not in the least bit fazed at his words, after a moment's thought, Tsuna reached out once again but this time, he hugged the other boy.

The bomber was shocked; he tensed when he felt the Vongola move in, but had no idea how to respond to the hug. Decimo's arms were warm, even if they were small and delicate, and he felt the slight brush of his soft brown hair against his neck. Tsunayoshi Sawada smelt of candied goods and chocolate cookies.

Against his own will, he relaxed into those arms, and asked, "What are you doing?"

Tsuna snuggled closer, "Hugging," he replied with a smile.

Gokudera scoffed, "Like that isn't obvious…let go…"

"No, you're warm."

"Decimo, let go."

"No."

Gokudera sighed, lifting a hand to tug away the boy's arms, but what he said next, made his freeze mid-way.

"You laughed back there," Tsuna muttered, hugging the bomber even tighter, "That's why you're nice."

The bomber bit his lips, "Everyone laughs," he murmured, fighting back tears.

"That's why everyone's nice."

Gokudera couldn't help the small laugh that escaped his lips right then, "You're clueless…" but in his mind, he added a silent thought: _But I don't mind. _

After that, they just sat, hugging, and silent. The wind blew through the courtyard and in the distance, people were shouting, but they didn't care. It was perfect this way, the sun high above, and the sky was infinite. After a moment's hesitation; Gokudera lifted his hands and squeezed Tsuna's arm, leaning his head on the other boy's fluffy brown hair.

Tsuna smiled when he felt the small movements, before he said softly, "Ne Gokudera-kun…"

"Hm?"

"…Let's be friends."

Gokudera blinked in surprise, before he relaxed and replied, "…sure—" The bomber tensed, before throwing himself on the other boy and pinning him to the ground.

Tsuna gasped at the sudden movements, "G-Gokudera-kun?"

The bomber cursed in Italian, which Tsuna understood quite well—before saying, "We've got company."

"Eh?" Tsuna looked over Gokudera's shoulder, eyes widening when he saw 3 assailants, each armed, heavily.

The middle man chuckled darkly, hands on his hips. "Well, who would have thought that the useless little brat would lead us straight into Vongola's Head Quarters?"

The left man aimed his gun at the silver haired boy who had now positioned himself in front of the small brunette, "We considered taking you in, but then you got all nice with the Vongola brat…tough luck eh?"

The right hand assailant crossed his arms, a smirk on his lips. "We'll kill you and then take the Vongola brat, a kid in the mafia, and one with such a cute face, he'd be worth quite a lot on the black market, don't you think?"

"Definitely," The middle assailant agreed, before winking at the small bomber. "See ya in hell, kid."

With that, the left man pulled the trigger, the bullet speeding towards the two boys. The sound echoed throughout the entire courtyard.

* * *

**so that's good for now right? school's hell, algebra's a lot harder then i thought. probably nearly as hell failed that thing. ...but i still like math anyways, better then memorizing a bunch of names that i'll forget in about 3 months anyways. **

**thanks for reading!**


	6. Gokudera Arrives! Part III

**OK, here's a new chappie!**

**I know it's really cruel to have Tsuna so injured but that's what happens in the mafia, you can't be all fight and no scars right? at least not mentally. But it explains why Gokudera would b so loyal to Tsuna too, i mean, a kid taking a bullet for some dude he just met? **

**Its a real sad tale right? **

**Thanks for reading! I hope u enjoy! :)**

* * *

Iemitsu froze mid-step when he heard the gunshot; his heart froze over as his blood turn cold.

_No, _He thought desperately, his fists clenched tight. _It's not Tsuna…it's not my little boy. I can't be…please GOD please! Punish me instead, please…_

"Calm down Iemitsu," called a voice from in the shadows. "Your son's not dead; he's my student after all.

The CEDEF leader whirled around to the source of the voice, "Reborn," he frowned. "Why aren't you looking over my son?"

The Arcobaleno scoffed, "Your son's about as innocent as an angel, there's no way he's going to be looking at 'mature' magazines at this age."

"That's not what I meant!" The Italian said, gesturing wildly before saying, "How can you know if he's hurt or something?"

Reborn smirked, "I don't."

Iemitsu deadpanned, face pale as a ghost as his team looked at him worriedly. Some even waved a hand in front of their leader's face but received no response in return.

"But," Reborn said, pulling is fedora forward. "I do know if he's close to death, and I placed a tracking device on the brat. So unless the thing goes 'beep', your dear son won't die—"

_Beeeeeeeeep_

Leon transformed into a black and green device, while the CEDEF leaders and his subordinate paled at the sound. Reborn spared a look at the device before nodding knowingly and looking up, calm and collected before he uttered five words that made Iemitsu's heart freeze.

"We should find your kid."

Gokudera Hayato watched with wide, disbelieving eyes as a figure jumped in front of him, knocking him out of the way of the bullet.

But Sawada got shot in return.

Tsuna cried out as the bullet imbedded itself in his shoulder, thankfully missing his spine. All the pain he received came rushing back at once, the bullet wound, the gash in his arm, and the burns all over his body—he felt like he was dying.

The boy whimpered in pain as he collapsed into the bomber, curling himself up and grabbing onto Gokudera's white dress shirt, staining it now, with his blood. But such thoughts, he wasn't able to think off, it was just so much pain, so much agony.

"It hurts," Tsuna whispered, clutching to his friend as tight as possible. "Hayato, it hurts…"

The bomber should have been surprised at the sound of his given name, but that was the last thing on his mind at that moment, second ago, he had made a friend, and now…that friend was severely injured.

Gokudera whimpered as he pulled the other boy close to his chest, hugging him tightly as he muttered, "I'm sorry Sawada, I'm so sorry." Tears streamed down his cheeks as cried, "It should have been me…"

"H-Hayato…"

"It's all my fault—"

Tsuna suddenly grabbed into the bomber's arm, effectively cutting him off, and a stern look, the boy said, "S-stop it Hayato…" he took a deep shuddering breath, before smiling shakily. "W-We're friends…right?"

Gokudera's eyes widened in surprise, before he smiled and nodded; more tears escaped his eyes as he said, "Yeah…definitely."

"Aww, sweet," One of the men gushed sarcastically, one by the name of Marc. "It's a shame we hit the merchandise…but who the hell cares huh?"

"That's right," his friend agreed, grinning darkly. "We could still fix him up and sell him for a pretty price."

"Mafia men these days have interesting hobbies," Jose winked. "Don't they?"

Gokudera's eyes narrowed, as he growled, "monsters." squeezing his friend protectively, he glared at the assailants.

Tsuna shook his head, tugging on the bomber's arm but to no avail, Hayato had a killing intention. And he knew, if the assailants were to shoot, the silver-haired boy would no doubt, take the bullet.

Marc saw this, and raised his gun, aiming at the young bomber with a victorious grin. "Do us all a favor kid, and don't move." He gestured at the injured brunet in the bomber's arms. "This is, if you don't want the kid there to have a bullet through his head…"

Gokudera scowled at the man, a deep hatred settled in his heart as he clutched his dear friend tighter to his chest. The smaller boy looked up at the silver haired bomber, fighting back cries of pain as he stuttered out, "I-It's f-fine…Hayato…r-run…"

"Like hell I will," the bomber growled back, before a gentle smile slipped onto his slips as he wiped away a stray tear on the younger boy's cheek. "Don't worry," he whispered, brushing away a lock of brown hair caringly, "I won't let you get hurt anymore…not after you saved my life."

"Hayato…"

Gokudera beamed, "We're friends right?" he said.

Tsuna blinked in surprise before taking the bomber's hand in his own, and nodded, "H-Hai."

"Sweet," Marc cooed, blowing out a puff of smoke from his cigarette, "But money suits my tastes a whole lot better…"

_Bang_

The bullets speed through the air, on a path right towards the silver haired boy's chest. But was blown off course halfway as the smell of burning fire filled the air, and a heavy downfall of anger towards to the assailants chilled the bones.

"What the hell?" Jose growled, snapping his head towards the source of the hatred only to find themselves completely surrounded.

Tomas's (middle man) eyes widened as he took in the view, staring at all the guns aimed at them and the burning glare of two particular men who weren't in a very happy mood right at that moment. "_Cazzo,_" he cursed, but his palms were sweaty and his body, jittery.

He knew it was all over, the stupid kid stalled them…they should have known that kidnapping Decimo wasn't going to be as easy as this.

The guard nearest to the gun handling assailant, glared hard at the man and gestured with a weapon of his own for the enemy to drop his weapon. And something about that gaze told Marc that he should not argue. And so, with a growl, he dropped the gun on the ground and kicked it over to the guard, hands behind his head in the usual manner.

As soon as the gun was in possession of the Vongola; the guards rushed in and handcuffed the enemies, looking in the pockets of the man, the guards found a small gun hidden in their boots and several knives and small explosives. They didn't question the 2 men about why they did no both to use a smoke bomb to escape for the answer was bluntly obvious: No one escapes the Vongola hit list.

First class medics rushed in to the two boys, by order of a certain hitman, they were to treat the silver haired boy with exact care and precision as the young master. Of course, as they were arriving on scene, they had argued that the kidnapper of the young master deserves no mercy; Reborn merely offered a small smirk and went off into the shadows. Now they understood, the boy had no truly dark intentions, for the young master seemed content despite his current state.

"Young master," a nurse said, sweating quite profoundly and clearly on the brink of panicking. "You must stay awake young master, please fight. That's it, breath calmly, hold my hand if you must."

Tsuna followed the young nurse's instructions, and tried to keep away despite being overwhelmed with the will to sleep. When offered a second anchor to life, Tsuna accepted it gratefully, though the movements made him wince out in pain. They had brought him to lay on a blanket of some sort but Hayato still knelled by his side, eyes filled with worry with his hands grasping Tsuna's tightly. Tears streamed endlessly down his cheeks.

The young boy was rolled onto his side since the bullet was in his back; his breathing became labored and harsh. But such was expected, a boy of only 8 on the brink of life and death.

Iemitsu, who was just a few steps away from his son, made a quick detour to the 3 men, eyes flaming with rage and voice trembling with anger.

"Listen to me you bastards," He growled, grabbing the collar of Tomas. "If it wasn't for my son's wishes for me to be more benevolent, you'd be fucking dead right now. But I have no intention of letting you all of to prison like this, no, that'll be too easy on you." He grinned darkly, "I'll make you wish you went to hell."

And they believed it, no doubt.

This man right here, could kill and would kill…without hesitation.

* * *

**That's all for now!**

**:)**

**special thanks to all of you guys, for you wonderful reviews and for reading my story. **

"No sir, but the entry wound is deep."

"Have you place pressure?"

"Yes sir."

"Checked his vitals?"

"Not as far as I can see, sir."

"Keep him awake, and get the stretcher here asap."

"Right away,"


	7. The final bit (just a bridge)

**Alright, it's a bit short but i need this chap to go even just a bit further in the story. forgive me, ne?**

**Thanks for reading and all the revies. I'm really happy. **

**So for all of you who knows gangnam style, i was eating while watching it...and nearly died when the elevator scene came on. I chocked. ...yup. u thought it'd get old after watching it like...50 times. but hey ;)**

**GANGNAM STYLE!**

* * *

It's been nearly two weeks, to be exact: one week and six days, since his dear friend was shot.

One week and six days ago, he was saved from death, and made a friend, that friend…had saved his life moments after, risking his own in return.

Gokudera Hayato hugged his knees close to this chest, feeling the soft silk of his bed sheet beneath his bare feet. The Vongola was kind enough to give him his own room and contact the old man about him staying here, the room was merely a few feet away from Decimo's, but to the young bomber, it felt like miles.

Of course he had been allowed to see Decimo; they were now friends after all. But it was hard, seeing someone he cared so much in such a devastating state. Even that hitman advised the young silver haired child not to see the young master just yet, for even he felt a pain in his heart at the sight.

Hayato heeded the warning and kept away for the time being.

Thinking back at the harsh demands he had made to the young brunette, Gokudera let out a chocked sob and whispered into his knees, "I'm such an idiot," he clenched his fists, "_così stupido!_"

"It's all my fault," Hayato whispered, tears streaming steadily down his cheeks, eyes red from crying for nearly two weeks straight.

He hadn't cried this much since the death of his mother…and finding out that the woman was his mother. Even so, he had learned to deal with that within a few days' time, ignoring his father, keeping on this façade; but he couldn't with Tsunayoshi Sawada.

The boy had cared about him before the bomber had realized the young heir's honest intentions, and not to mention…he had never seen such a pure smile before in his entire life, full of happiness and hope…

"You're pathetic, kid."

Hayato's head snapped up, eyes fixed on the opened door before blinking hard when he saw the Arcobaleno standing beside his bedside, gazing at him with emotionless, cold, black eyes.

"R-Reborn-san…"

The hitman shook his head, tipping his fedora forward as he jumped onto the bed gracefully, saying "Formality's overrated…call me Reborn."

Gokudera hiccupped before nodding.

The Arcobaleno stared at the tearful boy; the room was pitch dark, the servants had offered to turn on the lights but the Italian borne boy politely refused and went back to his sobbing state. Reborn could see—even without the lights—that the boy had been crying for a while, arms wet with tears, eyes red, cheeks wet…it was blatantly obvious.

"Grieving isn't going to help the precious friend," said Reborn, eyes shadowed.

"It's my fault, Reborn..." the boy argued softly, once again hiding his face in the folds of his arms, and saying, "If only…I-I could…b-be s-stro-stronger!" he took in a deep breath of air, "…then…T-Tsuna w-wouldn't have been s-shot…"

The Arcobaleno's eyes narrowed, "Shut up."

"I-I'm s-so useless!"

"Shut up kid,"

"A-what have I d-done? M-My b-best friend, m-my s-savior, I a-almost killed him—"

Reborn sent a flying kick into the boy's head, effectively cutting the young bomber off. Gokudera fell flat into the pillows before shooting right back up with eyes wide and accusing. "Reborn-san!"

The hitman merely scoffed, "You wouldn't shut up; what was I supposed to do?" he replied.

The bomber merely replied with a blank gaze before staring back down at the mattress. Reborn wanted to slap some sense into this kid; his hand was itching to shoot the damn brat with his own version of the Deathperation bullet.

But knowing his student, the kid would probably go nuts. So the hitman opted for his less favorable option.

"Listen kid," he muttered, stuffing his fists into the pockets of his suit, and after a moment's pause, he announced, "…Tsuna's awake."

Gokudera's eyes snapped open as he stared up at the Arcobaleno with a disbelieving gaze, "R-Really?"

Reborn nodded.

Upon seeing the action, the young bomber relaxed and settled back into the pillows behind him, a soft, relieved smile on his lips as he breathed, "T-thank gods…"

"Hm…I'm surprised you didn't figure it out sooner. The energy about the place is different, can't you feel it?"

Gokudera blinked, before averting his eyes, "I…I was too t-tired…" he muttered, wincing at the sound of his own weak lie.

"…" The hitman was not amused. Lying was a sin, but in the mafia, it's survival. This kid was going to die someday by his own lies. And if that ever happened, his student would go brawling his eyes out, and if that happened, not only would Iemitsu go depressed, oh no—the whole Vongola famiglie would go into depressed-mode.

…And he would have to suffer through the entire thing.

No. Way. In. Fucking. Hell.

Faced with a future of torment even greater then guilt, Reborn jumped onto the boy's chest and grabbed him by the collar, lips set into a scowl as he glared right into those frightened green eyes.

"Listen brat," he spat, having every intention to scare the kid out of his own skin. "I refuse to suffer do to your idiotic good-will intentions. I looked the other way when you sulked in this room, every. Single. Day." His grip tightened, as he growled, "Enough is enough. Tsuna is better, and awake, there's no more need to act like you're planning his funeral because he isn't dead, and not going to be any time soon."

The hitman pushed as the collar to spring back onto the mattress, his back facing the boy as he said, "Treasure what you have with all you have while you can. Because chances are, if you go missing," a smirk appeared on his lips. "Chances are…my student's going to search the entire world if he has to, to find his precious friend."

With that, Reborn jumped off the bed and went to the door, leaving it just a crack and disappearing from sight. The silver haired boy sat in a nest of pillows, dazed with his mouth open but yet no sound came out. The Arcobaleno's words settled in and the boy's lips were set in a thin line. Slowly and hesitantly, he pushed himself off the bed and testing his unsteady legs, taking a few steps towards the door before steeling himself and walking the rest of the way.

_Reborn-san's right, _Hayato clenched his fists, moving one hand to grip on the doorknob and pulling the little crack, wider. _I have to see Tsuna…_

And that first step changed his entire life.

**-A little extra bit with Iemitsu!**

"TSUNA!"

Iemitsu came running down the hallways, his team right behind him and apologizing furiously to those who their boss knocked out of the way without a second thought.

"L-Leader!" Oregano panted, catching the man's pace. "P-Please slow d-down!"

"My Tuna fish is awake, Oregano." Iemitsu replied a giddy grin on his lips as he barreled around the next corner. "How can I slow down?!"

"Well," muttered Turmeric from behind them, "There's something called walking."

"P-Please," The woman begged eyes wide as they narrowly flew by some armed guards. "A-At this rate, we'll crash!"

"I have to see him!"

"L-Leader—"

"It been so long since I've seen his smiling face!"

"L-Lea—"

"MY TUNA FISH!"

"You saw the young master yesterday!" Oregano yelled, "He was awake then too."

"You also saw him last night," Turmeric added, "And this morning…and two hours ago…"

Iemitsu laughed, "That was two hours ago!"

Finally arriving at the Tsuna's room, the entire CEDEF team was panting heavily and leaning against the wall. They accepted the water from the maids gratefully as they chugged down the entire thing in less than a minute. Iemitsu on the other hand, was nearly jumping out of his own skin.

Tsuna was propped up against the head board with tons of pillows around him, his favorite stuffed toy animals were piled on either side of him and tones of get well presents from mafia families and the yakuza were piled in one corner. Sweets and fruits were laid on a large table, compliments from the chef; bandages and other medical equipment were near at hand.

Iemitsu nearly down right cried at the sight of his son's upper torso, it was heavily bandaged up. The nurses and servants cleared the way for the leader as he made his way to his son.

"Oh, my poor, poor Tuna fish."

And all of them knew, it was going to be a while before the man would go back to his duties.

* * *

**ATTENTION! UPDATE **

**so i wanna know which story u want me to update. cuz percy jackson...is getting shallow**

**alex rider...no ideas whatso ever**

**kuroko...need a push**

**...n i forgot the others. well, they're hte main ones. **

**i'll see about putting up a poll...if i can figure out how. but if i don't just send me them to me in revies. k?**

**if i don't get any, then i'll update when...ah... -_-**

**not convincing am i?**

**well, thanks for reading!**


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